Cuban President Stresses Local Biotech Strategy

Havana, Feb 12 (ACN) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel described as comprehensive and realistic program, the priority program of the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Conglomerate BioCubaFarma for the near future.

The Cuban head of state expressed his opinions during the presentation of the 2020 annual report of the sector on Friday, which has become a starting point for new efforts aimed at the country’s development. In this regards, BioCubaFarma president Eduardo Martinez said high on the agenda is the development of the highly qualified labor, the achievement of stable production of drugs and further strengthening of ideological and political commitment.

Martinez also pointed at the need to access new financing sources, and foreign investment while keeping encouraging innovation and the application of sciences linked to the work of local universities.

The Biotech and Pharmaceutical sector has great achievements in 2020 such as the drug protocol to treat COVID 19 patients, the creation of respiratory ventilators, diagnostic products, and other elements to be used in PCR tests. High on the agenda are the four Cuban candidate vaccines against COVID 19, currently under advanced clinical trials.

During the meeting, Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister Roberto Morales said that along with the products to fight COVID 19, the conglomerate has contributed to the treatment of diseases which are major causes of death on the island. He said “We are talking about new products to treat cardiovascular conditions, cancer and cerebrovascular diseases.” This guarantees the health care of people and other nations of the world, said the Cuban top government official.